Stan Wawrinka outslugged Japanese sixth seed Kei Nishikori 4-6 7-5 6-4 6-2 in energy-sapping humidity at Flushing Meadows to set up a US Open final against world no.1 Novak Djokovic.
The third-seeded Swiss took a while to get untracked as 2014 US Open runner-up Nishikori played a near flawless opening set of the semi-final with just two errors.
The Japanese broke Wawrinka to start the second set, but the Swiss started rolling after breaking back in the fourth game and Nishikori, who went five tough sets to upset Andy Murray in a four-hour quarter-final, began to wither.
Wawrinka, the 2014 Australian Open winner and 2015 French Open champion, broke Nishikori in the last game of the second, third and fourth sets to reach his first US Open final.
“He was playing really good from the beginning, he was dictating,” Wawrinka said.
“He was putting pressure on me, didn’t give me any time. I had to wait. I had to fight. And he also started to get tired a little bit. That’s when I started to get aggressive.”
The Swiss has lost 19 of 23 matches against defending champion Djokovic, who beat French 10th seed Gael Monfils in his semi-final, but Wawrinka has beaten the Serb on his way to both of his grand slam titles.
“To tell myself I’m going to be in the US Open final is something crazy,” he said.
“I’m really excited. I watched the tournament final so many times here. Roger (Federer), Novak, Rafa (Nadal) they are amazing champions.”
Djokovic, a 6-3 6-2 3-6 6-2 winner against Monfils, is prepared for a sterner test from Wawrinka.
“Stan Wawrinka is a big match player,” Djokovic said when asked about the Swiss.
Having advanced to the semi-final without dropping a set, Monfils did not wait long to surrender his first as he went 5-0 down in just 16 minutes.
Looking ready to throw in the towel, Monfils flapped at a few shots then sprinkled in a few brilliant returns to leave an increasingly irritated Djokovic off-balance and the crowd scratching their heads.
The Serb, however, would quickly get back into rhythm, clinching the first set and then going on to demolish Mofils in the second.
But when trailing 2-0 and a break down in the third set, the impressive Monfils suddenly reappeared and he went on to take the set as Djokovic ripped his shirt and stalked the court.
Monfils’s tactics, while bold, ultimately proved unsuccessful as Djokovic’s skill and familiarity with the Frenchman’s playing style won out.